Search

Neste estudo, foram avaliados os efeitos da supressão e do ressuprimento de fosfato (Pi) sobre a fotossíntese e eficiência fotoquímica de plantas de Medicago sativa cv. Flórida 77, em diferentes estádios do desenvolvimento vegetativo (V3, V4) e reprodutivo (R6, R8). O ensaio foi conduzido em casa de vegetação e as plantas cultivadas na solução nutritiva de HOAGLAND & ARNON (1950), contendo 0,14mmol L-1 de Pi. A supressão de Pi por dez dias reduziu os teores de fósforo nas folhas amostradas, em todos os estádios do desenvolvimento. Entretanto, com o ressuprimento, somente nos estádios vegetativos, os valores foram semelhantes ao tratamento controle. A fotossíntese por área foliar, em todos os estádios do desenvolvimento diminuiu com a supressão de Pi. De modo geral, o ressuprimento de Pi à solução nutritiva resultou em recuperação na fotossíntese, excetuando-se as plantas no estádio V3, uma indicação de que o período de supressão não causou danos permanentes no aparato fotossintético. Os teores dos pigmentos fotossintéticos e a eficiência fotoquímica do fotossistema II (FS II), avaliada pela relação Fv/Fm, não foram alterados quando as plantas foram submetidas à supressão de Pi. Esse resultado demonstra que o transporte de elétrons através do FS II não limitou a fotossíntese nas folhas amostradas, sob supressão de Pi, sugerindo que a supressão causou efeito mais pronunciado na etapa bioquímica da fotossíntese.

Background: Thromboprophylaxis during pregnancy can be challenging when heparin is contraindicated. Limited data exist regarding alternative anticoagulants in the setting of pregnancy.Case: We present a patient with antiphospholipid syndrome who developed heparin-induced thrombosis in the third trimester of pregnancy. She was treated with therapeutic doses of intravenous lepirudin until delivery. Induction of labor, regional anesthesia, and forceps-assisted vaginal delivery were performed with no fetal, neonatal, or maternal complications. Postpartum, the patient was transitioned to warfarin therapy, and at 6 weeks postdelivery neither the patient nor her infant had developed any new problems.Conclusion: Intravenous lepirudin use at therapeutic doses in late gestation as an alternative to heparin was accomplished with minimal maternal and fetal morbidity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bats are the second most diverse order of mammals and play a central role in ecosystem dynamics. They are also important reservoirs of potentially zoonotic microorganisms, of which rabies virus is the most lethal among the bat-transmitted zoonotic pathogens. Importantly, recent outbreaks of human rabies have been reported from the Brazilian Amazon. Here we present a survey of bat species and rabies virus (RABV) circulation in a bat assemblage in the Marajó region, northern Brazil. Using data from mist-net captures and bioacoustic sampling, 56 bat species were recorded along the Jacundá River basin over a 10-day expedition in November 2022. For the investigation of RABV, we used the direct fluorescent antibody test (DFAT) and the rapid fluorescent focus inhibition test (RFFIT). In total, 159 bat individuals from 22 species were investigated for RABV. Five adults of the common vampire bat, Desmodus rotundus, showed RABV-specific antibodies in serum samples. Additionally, we report on local residents with injuries caused by D. rotundus bites and the occurrence of colonies of non-hematophagous bats from different species roosting inside human residences. This scenario raises concerns about the risks of new cases of human rabies and other zoonotic diseases associated with bats in the region and highlights the need for epidemiological surveillance and mitigation measures to prevent outbreaks of emerging infectious diseases., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Objective: To verify the characteristics of safety incident reports resulting in moderate and severe harm to pediatric patients in two hospitals during the COVID-19 pandemic., Method: Cross-sectional study conducted in two hospitals in southern Brazil. The sample consisted of 137 notifications from March 2020 to August 2021. The data were collected through the electronic records of the institutions' notification systems and analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics., Results: The most prevalent incidents were related to clinical processes or procedures (41.6%), affecting slightly more females (49.6%) and infants (39.4%). The majority of incidents (48.2%) occurred in inpatient units. The event sector (p=0.001) and the shift (p=0.011) showed statistically significant associations in both hospitals., Conclusion: The characteristics of the notifications are similar between the institutions surveyed, with a low number of moderate and severe incidents.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, undergraduate medical students (UMS) exposed to isolation, social distancing and complete or partial face-to-face educational activities interruption may present increased stress, depression and anxiety. This study was undertaken to evaluate if, during isolation, UMS involved in online group activities as investigators of a research project (volunteer group) would present better mental health than their colleagues, not involved in that research (control group). A Web-based survey, via the Google Forms platform, including details on demographic data, life habits, previous health conditions, worries with the COVID-19 pandemic, sleep pattern modifications and depression, anxiety and mental stress, using the DASS-21 (Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale) was implemented from 20 July to 31 August 2020. Statistical analysis was performed using the SPSS version 20.0. A p-value <0.05 was significant. A total of 684 UMS were included, 228 as a volunteer group and 456 as a control group. Mean age was 23.15 (3.16) years. The groups were paired for age, gender, ethnicity, life habits and previous health conditions. Older age, male gender, participation in the research project, unchanged sleep pattern during the pandemic, lack of fear from getting the COVID-19 and lack of previous health conditions were associated with lower DASS21 scores (better mental health). Participating as investigators of a research project foreseeing frequent interaction with patients, colleagues and professors (other investigators) lead to better mental health during the COVID-19 quarantine in Brazil.

The sugarcane borer Diatraea saccharalis (Lepidoptera: Crambidae) is an important sugarcane pest and mechanical injuries caused through the mandibles can allow pathogen infections. The mandibles of D. saccharalis, as well as other insects, are associated with mandibular glands with a possible function in food intake and mouthparts lubrication; however, the chemical composition of the secretion is poorly known and its elucidation is important for the comprehensive understanding of plant-insect interactions. This study characterized some proteins and volatiles in the mandibular glands of D. saccharalis larvae. MALDI-TOF/TOF mass spectrometry allowed the identification of 24 predicted proteins within 10 functional classes, including the transport and metabolism of carbohydrates, lipids, amino acids, and nucleotides; Posttranslational protein modifications; energy conversion; intracellular trafficking; transcription; translation; and cytoskeleton function. Metabolites identified from GC/MS analysis revealed the presence of hydrocarbons classified as alcohols, ether, alkanes, and esters with differences in their relative abundance. Linolenic acid, the most abundant metabolite found in this gland, when conjugated with amino acids, can be an elicitor in the plant-herbivore interaction. The results suggest the occurrence of digestive and defensive biochemical components, which may contribute to understanding of the multifunctional roles of the mandibular gland secretion of D. saccharalis larvae during feeding activity., (© 2022 Wiley Periodicals LLC.)

The use of glycosylphosphatidylinositol (GPI) to anchor proteins to the cell surface is widespread among eukaryotes. The GPI-anchor is covalently attached to the C-terminus of a protein and mediates the protein's attachment to the outer leaflet of the lipid bilayer. GPI-anchored proteins have a wide range of functions, including acting as receptors, transporters, and adhesion molecules. In unicellular eukaryotic parasites, abundantly expressed GPI-anchored proteins are major virulence factors, which support infection and survival within distinct host environments. While, for example, the variant surface glycoprotein (VSG) is the major component of the cell surface of the bloodstream form of African trypanosomes, procyclin is the most abundant protein of the procyclic form which is found in the invertebrate host, the tsetse fly vector. Trypanosoma cruzi , on the other hand, expresses a variety of GPI-anchored molecules on their cell surface, such as mucins, that interact with their hosts. The latter is also true for Leishmania , which use GPI anchors to display, amongst others, lipophosphoglycans on their surface. Clearly, GPI-anchoring is a common feature in trypanosomatids and the fact that it has been maintained throughout eukaryote evolution indicates its adaptive value. Here, we explore and discuss GPI anchors as universal evolutionary building blocks that support the great variety of surface molecules of trypanosomatids., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2021 Borges, Link, Engstler and Jones.)

Parasites of the order Trypanosomatida are known due to their medical relevance. Despite the progress made in the past decades on understanding the evolution of this group of organisms, there are still many open questions that require robust phylogenetic markers to increase the resolution of trees. Using two known 18S rRNA gene template structures (from Trypanosoma cruzi Chagas, 1909 and Trypanosoma brucei Plimmer and Bradford, 1899), individual 18S rRNA gene secondary structures were predicted by homology modeling. Sequences and their secondary structures, automatically encoded by a 12-letter alphabet (each nucleotide with its three structural states, paired left, paired right, unpaired), were simultaneously aligned. Sequence-structure trees were generated by neighbor joining and/or maximum likelihood. The reconstructed trees allowed us to discuss not only the big picture of trypanosomatid phylogeny but also a comprehensive sampling of trypanosomes evaluated in the context of trypanosomatid diversity. The robust support (bootstrap > 75) for well-known clades and critical branches suggests that the simultaneous use of 18S rRNA sequence and secondary structure data can reconstruct robust phylogenetic trees and can be used by the trypanosomatid research community for future analysis., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.)

Trypanosoma brucei is one of only a few unicellular pathogens that thrives extracellularly in the vertebrate host. Consequently, the cell surface plays a critical role in both immune recognition and immune evasion. The variant surface glycoprotein (VSG) coats the entire surface of the parasite and acts as a flexible shield to protect invariant proteins against immune recognition. Antigenic variation of the VSG coat is the major virulence mechanism of trypanosomes. In addition, incessant motility of the parasite contributes to its immune evasion, as the resulting fluid flow on the cell surface drags immunocomplexes toward the flagellar pocket, where they are internalized. The flagellar pocket is the sole site of endo- and exocytosis in this organism. After internalization, VSG is rapidly recycled back to the surface, whereas host antibodies are thought to be transported to the lysosome for degradation. For this essential step to work, effective machineries for both sorting and recycling of VSGs must have evolved in trypanosomes. Our understanding of the mechanisms behind VSG recycling and VSG secretion, is by far not complete. This review provides an overview of the trypanosome secretory and endosomal pathways. Longstanding questions are pinpointed that, with the advent of novel technologies, might be answered in the near future., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2021 Link, Borges, Jones and Engstler.)

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in social isolation, which has a potential negative impact on the educational routines (eg, the suspension of face-to-face appointments) and mental health of medical students. The Mario Pinotti II (MPII) study is a 24-week observational study that conducted scheduled telephone calls every 2 weeks to verify the occurrence of COVID-19 in patients with rheumatic diseases on chronic hydroxychloroquine therapy (from March 29, 2020, to September 30, 2020). The effects of voluntarily participating in a research project (ie, one that involves interactions via telephone contact with patients, professors, rheumatologists, and colleagues) on the daily lives and mental health of medical students requires evaluation., Objective: As medical students are professionals in training and have a high level of responsibility in terms of handling the emotional and physical aspects of several diseases, this study aims to evaluate the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic and participation in the MPII study on the educational routines and mental health of medical students., Methods: A web-based survey was carried out to perform a cross-sectional comparative assessment of medical students who participated in the MPII study and their colleagues who were not involved in the MPII study. Participants from both groups were matched based on sex, age, and medical school. The web questionnaire was developed by a panel composed of graduate medical students, rheumatologists, medical school professors, and a psychology professor. The questionnaire included details on demographic and life habits data and evaluated participants' impressions of the MPII study and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on their educational routines and medical training. In addition, depression, anxiety, and stress were evaluated using the Brazilian version of the Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale (DASS)-21, and currently, the DASS-21 scores are grouped as those that indicate a low, moderate, or high risk of mental distress. This project was approved by the Federal University of São Paulo Ethics Committee (CAAE: 34034620.0.0000.5505)., Results: Data were collected from both medical student groups from July 20 to August 31, 2020. Data extraction was completed in September 2020. The data analysis is ongoing. We expect the results to be published in the first semester of 2021., Conclusions: This study will provide insight into the effects of participating in a research project on depression, anxiety, and stress, which will be determined by applying the DASS-21 to a large sample of Brazilian undergraduate medical students. We will also evaluate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on medical students' educational routines and medical training., International Registered Report Identifier (irrid): DERR1-10.2196/24617., (©Débora Cerqueira Calderaro, Barbara Stadler Kahlow, Gabriela Araújo Munhoz, Samuel Elias Basualto Dias, João Vitor Ziroldo Lopes, Aline Rizzo Borges, Henrique De Ataíde Mariz, Kirla Wagner Poti Gomes, Lilian David De Azevedo Valadares, Nafice Costa Araújo, Sandra Lucia Euzébio Ribeiro, Adriana Maria Kakehasi, Ana Paula Monteiro Gomides Reis, Cláudia Marques, Edgard Torres Reis-Neto, Eduardo Dos Santos Paiva, Gecilmara Salviato Pileggi, Gilda Aparecida Ferreira, José Roberto Provenza, Licia Maria Henrique Mota, Ricardo Machado Xavier, Maycoln Leôni Martins Teodoro, Marcelo De Medeiros Pinheiro, The Voluntary Brazilian Society Of Rheumatology Task Force Against COVID-19. Originally published in JMIR Research Protocols (http://www.researchprotocols.org), 09.04.2021.)

In the following study, three different dairy by-products, previously concentrated by ultrafiltration (UF), were used as ingredients in the production of reduced-fat (RF) washed curd cheeses in order to improve their characteristics. Conventional full-fat (FF) cheeses (45% fat, dry basis (db)) and RF cheeses (20-30% fat, db) were compared to RF cheeses produced with the incorporation of 5% concentrated whey (RF + CW), buttermilk (RF + CB) or sheep second cheese whey (RF + CS). Protein-to-fat ratios were lower than 1 in the FF cheeses, while RF cheeses ranged from 1.8 to 2.8. The tested by-products performed differently when added to the milk used for cheese production. The FF cheese showed a more pronounced yellow colour after 60 and 90 days of ripening, indicating that fat plays an important role regarding this parameter. As far as the texture parameters are concerned, after 60 days of ripening, RF cheeses with buttermilk presented similar results to FF cheeses for hardness (5.0-7.5 N) and chewiness ( ca. 400). These were lower than the ones recorded for RF cheeses with added UF concentrated whey (RF + CW) and second cheese whey (RF + CS), which presented lower adhesiveness values. RF cheeses with 5% incorporation of buttermilk concentrated by UF presented the best results concerning both texture and sensory evaluation.

Since the observation of the great pleomorphism of fish trypanosomes, in vitro culture has become an important tool to support taxonomic studies investigating the biology of cultured parasites, such as their structure, growth dynamics, and cellular cycle. Relative to their biology, ex vivo and in vitro studies have shown that these parasites, during the multiplication process, duplicate and segregate the kinetoplast before nucleus replication and division. However, the inverse sequence (the nucleus divides before the kinetoplast) has only been documented for a species of marine fish trypanosomes on a single occasion. Now, this previously rare event was observed in Trypanosoma abeli, a freshwater fish trypanosome. Specifically, from 376 cultured parasites in the multiplication process, we determined the sequence of organelle division for 111 forms; 39% exhibited nucleus duplication prior to kinetoplast replication. Thus, our results suggest that nucleus division before the kinetoplast may not represent an accidental or erroneous event occurring in the main pathway of parasite reproduction, but instead could be a species-specific process of cell biology in trypanosomes, such as previously noticed for Leishmania. This "alternative" pathway for organelle replication is a new field to be explored concerning the biology of marine and freshwater fish trypanosomes., (© 2018 International Society of Protistologists.)

Introduction: Knowledge about student motivation allows educators to broaden their understanding and to establish strategies that make it possible to enhance motivation., Objectives: To investigate the levels of student motivation at different phases of medical education, comparing incoming students' motivation with that of those at the end of their studies, as well as during the different preclinical, clinical, and clerkship cycles., Method: Cross-sectional study including students from a Brazilian public university. The questionnaire included sociodemographic data and the Academic Motivation Scale (AMS). Student motivation was compared at different phases of the medical course., Results: 710 students were included. Students in the preclinical phase (1st-2nd years) had higher levels of integrated regulation AMS (e.g.,"Education is a privilege."), introjected regulation AMS (e.g."I come because it is what is expected of me."), and intrinsic motivation AMS (e.g."School is a pleasure"). Students in the clinical phase (3rd-4th years) had higher levels of amotivation (e.g., "I'm wasting my time at school.") and external regulation AMS (e.g., "I'm coming to school to earn a degree"). AMS levels of external regulation, introjected relation, and integrated regulation were different for Clerkship students (5th-6th years) compared to preclinical students, but not for clinical students. Comparing only the first and last years, incoming students had higher levels of integrated regulation AMS and lower levels of amotivation AMS and external regulation AMS., Conclusion: Important motivational changes were found during different phases of medical school, with higher levels of motivation during the course's initial semesters. These findings can aid in developing educational strategies to stimulate self-determined education.

The chemical composition of complex inorganic materials, such as copper concentrate, may influence the economics of their further processing because most smelters, and particularly the producers of high-purity electrolyte copper, have strict limitations for the permissible concentration of impurities. These components might be harmful to the quality of the products, impair the production process and be hazardous to the environment. The goal of the present work is the development of a method for the determination of fluorine in copper concentrate using high-resolution graphite furnace molecular absorption spectrometry and direct solid sample analysis. The molecular absorption of the diatomic molecule CaF was measured at 606.440nm. The molecule CaF was generated by the addition of 200µg Ca as the molecule-forming reagent; the optimized pyrolysis and vaporization temperatures were 900°C and 2400°C, respectively. The characteristic mass and limit of detection were 0.5ng and 3ng, respectively. Calibration curves were established using aqueous standard solutions containing the major components Cu, Fe, S and the minor component Ag in optimized concentrations. The accuracy of the method was verified using certified reference materials. Fourteen copper concentrate samples from Chile and Australia were analyzed to confirm the applicability of the method to real samples; the concentration of fluorine ranged from 34 to 5676mgkg -1 . The samples were also analyzed independently at Analytik Jena by different operators, using the same equipment, but different target molecules, InF and GaF, and different operating conditions; but with a few exceptions, the results agreed quite well. The results obtained at Analytik Jena using the GaF molecule and our results obtained with CaF, with one exception, were also in agreement with the values informed by the supplier of the samples, which were obtained using ion selective electrode potentiometry after alkaline fusion. A comparison will also be made for the three target molecules and the three independently developed methods for the determination of fluorine, although all three methods used direct solid sample analysis., (Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Leishmania parasites are the causative agents of the leishmaniases, a collection of vector-borne diseases that range from simple cutaneous to fatal visceral forms. Employing potent immune modulation mechanisms, Leishmania is able to render the host macrophage inactive and persist inside its phagolysosome. In the last few years, the role of exosomes in Leishmania-host interactions has been increasingly investigated. For instance, it was reported that Leishmania exosome release is augmented following temperature shift, a condition mimicking parasite's entry into its mammalian host. Leishmania exosomes were found to strongly affect macrophage cell signaling and functions, similarly to whole parasites. Importantly, these vesicles were shown to be pro-inflammatory, capable to recruit neutrophils at their inoculation site exacerbating the pathology. In this review, we provide the most recent insights on the role of exosomes and other virulence factors, especially the surface protease GP63, in Leishmania-host interactions, deepening our knowledge on leishmaniasis and paving the way for the development of new therapeutics., (Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

A method has been developed for the determination of lead in biomass, bio-oil, pyrolysis aqueous phase, and biomass ashes by high-resolution continuum source graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry (HR-CS GF AAS) and direct solid or liquid sample analysis. All measurements were performed without chemical modifier and calibration could be carried out using aqueous standard solutions. A pyrolysis temperature of 800°C and an atomization temperature of 2200°C were applied. The limits of detection and quantification were, respectively, 0.5 µg kg(-1) and 2 µg kg(-1) using the analytical line at 217.001 nm and 6 µg kg(-1) and 19 µg kg(-1) at 283.306 nm. The precision, expressed as relative standard deviation, was between 3% and 10%, which is suitable for direct analysis. The lead concentrations found for the solid samples varied between 0.28 and 1.4 mg kg(-1) for biomass and between 0.25 and 2.3 mg kg(-1) for ashes, these values were much higher than those found for bio-oil (2.2-16.8 µg kg(-1)) and pyrolysis aqueous phase (3.2-18.5 µg kg(-1)). After the determination of lead in the samples, it was possible to estimate the relative distribution of this element in the fractions of the pyrolysis products, and it was observed that most of the lead present in the biomass was eliminated to the environment during the pyrolysis process, with a significant portion retained in the ashes., (Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Application of dynamic external pneumatic compression (EPC) during recovery from athletic activities has demonstrated favorable effects on flexibility, soreness, swelling, and blood lactate (BLa) concentrations. However, the effects of "preconditioning" with a peristaltic pulse EPC device on subsequent performance and BLa concentrations have not been characterized. Herein, we demonstrate that pretreatment for 30 min with EPC has no effect on subsequent supramaximal exercise performance or BLa concentrations during passive recovery.

Methods employed for pulse wave analysis (PWA) and peripheral blood pressure (PBP) calibration vary. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the agreement of SphygmoCor PWA parameters derived from radial artery tonometry when considering (1) timing (before vs. after tonometry) and side selection (ipsilateral vs. contralateral limb) for PBP calibration and (2) side selection for tonometry (left vs. right arm). In 34 subjects (aged 21.9 ± 2.3 years), bilateral radial artery tonometry was performed simultaneously on three instances. PBP assessment via oscillometric sphygmomanometry in the left arm only and both arms simultaneously occurred following the first and second instances of tonometry, respectively. Significant within arm differences in PWA parameters derived before and after PBP measurement were observed in the right arm only (for example, aortic systolic blood pressure, Δ=0.38 ± 0.64 mm Hg). Simultaneously captured bilateral PWA variables demonstrated significant between arm differences in 88% (14/16) and 56% (9/16) of outcome variables when calibrated to within arm and equivalent PBP, respectively. Moreover, the right arm consistently demonstrated lower values for clinical PWA variables (for example, augmentation index, bias=-2.79%). However, 26% (n=9) of participants presented with clinically significant differences (>10 mm Hg) in bilateral PBP and their exclusion from analysis abolished most between arm differences observed. SphygmoCor PWA in the right radial artery results in greater variability independent of the timing of PBP measurement and magnitude of calibration pressures in young subjects. Moreover, bilateral PBP measurement is imperative to identify subjects in whom a significant difference in bilateral PWA outcomes may exist.

External pneumatic compression (EPC) use in athletics is increasing. However, there is a paucity of evidence supporting the effectiveness of EPC in aiding recovery and performance. We sought to determine the efficacy of EPC for acute recovery of anaerobic power and lactate clearance following a fatigue protocol. Fourteen (n = 14; women = 7 and men = 7), apparently healthy, active subjects (aged 22.73 ± 4.05 years) were enrolled in this randomized crossover design study. After familiarization sessions, subjects completed 2 study trials separated by 3-7 days. Trials consisted of a fatigue protocol (two 30-second Wingate anaerobic tests (WAnTs) on a cycle ergometer separated by 3 minutes of rest), 30 minutes of treatment with EPC or sham, and, finally, a single 30-second WAnT. A peristaltic pulse EPC device was used with target inflation pressures of ∼70 mm Hg applied to the lower limbs. Peak power (PkP), average power (AP), and the fatigue index (FI) were recorded for each WAnT. Moreover, blood lactate concentration (BLa) was evaluated at baseline and at regular intervals during recovery (5, 15, 25, and 35 minutes postfatigue protocol). No significant differences in PkP, AP, and FI were observed. However, BLa was significantly lower at 25 and 35 minutes of recovery (8.91 ± 3.12 vs. 10.66 ± 3.44 mmol·L(-1) [p = 0.021] and 6.44 ± 2.14 vs. 7.89 ± 2.37 mmol·L(-1) [p = 0.006] for EPC vs. sham, respectively). Application of EPC during recovery may be a viable alternative when "inactive" recovery is desirable.

Introduction: External pneumatic compression (EPC) is being employed for a widening range of clinical and non-clinical populations. However, EPC devices vary markedly in treatment pressures, duty cycles and application sites, and the acute effects of whole limb, lower pressure EPC on peripheral vascular function have not been determined., Purpose: The purpose of this study was to determine the acute effects of a single bout of peristaltic pulse EPC on peripheral conduit and resistance artery function., Methods: Twenty (n = 20; males = 12 and females = 8) young and apparently healthy subjects (aged 26.1 ± 8.2 years) participated in this study. A sequential EPC device with five inflation zones arranged linearly and inflating distal to proximal along the lower limbs was employed with target inflation pressures of 70 mmHg for 1 h. Flow-mediated dilation (FMD) of the brachial and popliteal arteries was evaluated with ultrasound before and after EPC. Venous occlusion plethysmography was employed to evaluate limb blood flow at rest and during reactive hyperemia (RH) in the forearm (FBF) and calf (CBF) before and after EPC., Results: Peak RH CBF was increased by 9 % after EPC (P < 0.05), whereas peak RH FBF (-10 %) did not change significantly (P > 0.25). Normalized popliteal artery FMD post-EPC (2.24 ± 1.41) was significantly higher than pre-EPC (1.36 ± 0.67, P = 0.015) and post-sham (1.58 ± 0.86, P = 0.032) values. Similarly, normalized brachial artery FMD post-EPC (1.47 ± 0.32) was significantly higher than pre-EPC (1.11 ± 0.41, P = 0.004) and post-sham (0.99 ± 0.27, P = 0.026) values., Conclusion: Acutely, whole limb, lower pressure EPC improves conduit artery endothelial function systemically, but only improves RH blood flow locally (i.e., compressed limbs).

Organotin compounds are highly versatile group of organometallic chemicals used in industrial and agricultural applications. Their endocrine-disrupting effects are well known and their extensive uses as biocide materials, e.g., in antifouling paints, for many years have led to serious environmental problems. So far, attention has mainly been given to tributyltin pollution in water, sediments, and marine organisms because of its highly toxic effects and high accumulation levels at very low concentrations. In this study, we will focus on the conversion of tributyltin after it is absorbed by zebrafish eleutheroembryos, presented here as an alternative model to adult fish for describing bioconcentration. A simplified analytical extraction procedure based on the use of an assisted ultrasonic probe and derivatization by ethylation, followed by gas chromatography with a flame photometric detector (GC-FPD) is proposed. This classical methodology for organotin determination has been validated by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) and Zeeman graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry (ZGF-AAS) in terms of total tin content. The speciation analysis results show that zebrafish eleutheroembryos absorb high amounts of tributyltin and convert it into monobutyltin and likely in inorganic tin.

Chagas disease, caused by Trypanosoma cruzi, is an important cause of mortality and morbidity in Latin America. There are no vaccines available, the chemotherapy used to treat this illness has serious side effects and its efficacy on the chronic phase of disease is still a matter of debate. In a search for alternative treatment for Chagas disease, essential oils extracted from traditional medicinal plants Lippia sidoides, Lippia origanoides, Chenopodium ambrosioides, Ocimum gratissimum, Justicia pectorales and Vitex agnus-castus were investigated in vitro for trypanocidal and cytotoxic activities. Essential Oils were extracted by hydrodistillation and submitted to chemical analysis by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry. The concentration of essential oils necessary to inhibit 50% of the epimastigotes or amastigotes growth (IC(50)) and to kill 50% of trypomastigote forms (LC(50)) was estimated. The most prevalent chemical constituents of these essential oils were monoterpenes and sesquiterpenes. All essential oils tested demonstrated an inhibitory effect on the parasite growth and survival. L. sidoides and L. origanoides essential oils were the most effective against trypomastigote and amastigote forms respectively. No significant cytotoxic effects were observed in mouse peritoneal macrophages incubated with essential oils which were more selective against the parasites than mammalian cells. Taken together, our results point towards the use of these essential oils as potential chemotherapeutic agent against T. cruzi., (Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

The chemical speciation analysis of chromium in one of the most important South American Estuary was performed for the first time. Samples were collected in Patos Lagoon Estuary (Brazil) and were analysed by adsorptive cathodic stripping voltammetry, with the following analytical figures of merit: limit of detection, 0.1 nmol L(-1); precision RSD = 3%, n = 7; linearity, from limit of quantitation up to 20 nmol L(-1); and accuracy of 99.8%, expressed as recovery. No labile chromium forms were identified in samples, beside industries and a city were near the study area. It is pointed out a reverse correlation between total and non-active chromium and salinity, which could be explained by biogeochemical processes.

Murine models are the most commonly used and best investigated among the animal models of HGG. They constitute an important weapon in the development and testing of new anticancer drugs and have long been used in preclinical trials. Neuroimaging methods, particularly MR imaging, offer important advantages for the evaluation of treatment response: shorter and more reliable treatment end points and insight on tumor biology and physiology through the use of functional imaging DWI, PWI, BOLD, and MR spectroscopy. This functional information has been progressively consolidated as a surrogate marker of tumor biology and genetics and may play a pivotal role in the assessment of specifically targeted drugs, both in clinical and preclinical trials. The purpose of this Research Perspectives was to compile, summarize, and critically assess the available information on the neuroimaging features of different murine models of HGGs, and explain how these correlate with human disease and reflect tumor biology.

Leishmaniasis is a widespread tropical infection caused by different species of Leishmania protozoa. There is no vaccine available for Leishmania infections and conventional treatments are very toxic to the patients. Therefore, antileishmanial drugs are urgently needed. In this study we have analyzed the effects of essential oils from Lippia sidoides (LSEO) and its major compound thymol on the growth, viability and ultrastructure of Leishmania amazonensis. The essential oil and thymol showed significant activity against promastigote forms of L. amazonensis, with IC(50)/48 h of 44.38 and 19.47 μg/mL respectively. However, thymol showed toxicity against peritoneal macrophages and low selectivity against the promastigotes when compared with the crude LSEO. On the other hand, no cytotoxic effect was observed in macrophages treated with the crude essential oil. Incubation of L. amazonensis-infected macrophages with LSEO showed a marked reduction in amastigote survival within the macrophages. Significant morphological alterations as accumulation of large lipid droplets in the cytoplasm, disrupted membrane and wrinkled cells were usually seen in treated parasites. The LSEO's activity against both promastigote and the amstigote forms of L. amazonensis, together with its low toxicity to mammalian cells, point to LSEO as a promising agent for the treatment of cutaneous leishmaniasis., (Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Two simple methods have been developed to determine cadmium and lead in different kinds of beverages and vinegar leached from pewter cups produced in Brazil. Leaching experiments have been carried out with different solutions: beer, sugar cane spirit, red and white wine, vinegar and a 3% acetic acid solution. The solutions were kept in cups with and without solder for 24h. Lead and cadmium have been determined using graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry with deuterium background correction. The limits of detection were 0.05 and 1.4 μg L(-1), and the characteristic mass was 1.0 pg and 19 pg for Cd and Pb, respectively. With the developed methods it was possible to determine accurately cadmium and lead by direct analysis in these liquids and to evaluate the leaching of these metals from pewter cups. The results presented in this work show that pewter cups are not cadmium- and lead-free; this point goes against the manufacturers' declaration that their products are lead-free., (Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

A nuclear polyhedrosis virus isolated from infected Bombyx mori, BmNPV, was used to inoculate silkworms to determine salivary gland cell susceptibility. The salivary gland was removed from infected silkworms at different times post-inoculation and examined by light microscopy. The salivary gland cells did not exhibit any signs of BmNPV infection; however, fat body and tracheal cells, used as positive controls, showed characteristic cytopathological changes caused by BmNPV infection, which confirmed inoculum viability. The morphological distribution of tracheal branches and the basal lamina, which serves as a barrier to viral penetration, are apparently involved in this resistance to infection.

We have synthesized the Morita-Baylis-Hillman adduct (MBHA) 3-hydroxy-2-methylene-3-(4-nitrophenyl)-propanenitrile (3) in quantitative yield and evaluated on Trypanosoma cruzi epimastigote and bloodstream trypomastigote forms. Compound 3 strongly inhibited epimastigote growth, with IC(50)/72hof 28.5 microM and also caused intense trypomastigotes lysis, with an IC(50)/24h of 25.5 microM. Ultrastructural analysis showed significant morphological changes on both parasite forms treated with 3, including increase of cell volume and rounding of cell body as well as intense intracellular disorganization. Morphological changes indicative of apoptosis, autophagy or necrosis were observed in most affected cells. Docking calculations of 1, 2 and 3 pointed out the possibility of T. cruzi Farnesyl Pyrophosphate Synthase (TcFPPS) enzyme inhibition in 3 mechanism of action., (2010 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Several human monoclonal antibodies (hmAbs) exhibit relatively potent and broad neutralizing activity against HIV-1, but there has not been much success in using them as potential therapeutics. We have previously hypothesized and demonstrated that small engineered antibodies can target highly conserved epitopes that are not accessible by full-size antibodies. However, their potency has not been comparatively evaluated with known HIV-1-neutralizing hmAbs against large panels of primary isolates. We report here the inhibitory activity of an engineered single chain antibody fragment (scFv), m9, against several panels of primary HIV-1 isolates from group M (clades A-G) using cell-free and cell-associated virus in cell line-based assays. M9 was much more potent than scFv 17b, and more potent than or comparable to the best-characterized broadly neutralizing hmAbs IgG(1) b12, 2G12, 2F5 and 4E10. It also inhibited cell-to-cell transmission of HIV-1 with higher potency than enfuvirtide (T-20, Fuzeon). M9 competed with a sulfated CCR5 N-terminal peptide for binding to gp120-CD4 complex, suggesting an overlapping epitope with the coreceptor binding site. M9 did not react with phosphatidylserine (PS) and cardiolipin (CL), nor did it react with a panel of autoantigens in an antinuclear autoantibody (ANA) assay. We further found that escape mutants resistant to m9 did not emerge in an immune selection assay. These results suggest that m9 is a novel anti-HIV-1 candidate with potential therapeutic or prophylactic properties, and its epitope is a new target for drug or vaccine development.

Ovarian tumors have a low incidence in childhood, accounting for 1% of malignancies within the ages of 0-17 years. Small cell carcinoma of the ovary is a rare histology and historically has a poor prognosis. We report a case of an 11-year-old female diagnosed with small cell carcinoma of the ovary and hypercalcemia (SCCOHT). There was a strong family history of the disease, a reduction in the age of onset in the proband, and the absence of BRCA mutations. This case suggests the phenomenon of genetic anticipation in an ovarian cancer., ((c) 2009 Wiley-Liss, Inc.)

The synthesis and colloidal study of a new class of low molecular weight organogelators is reported. Racemic propargylic alcohols with perfluoroaryl and nonfluorinated aryl rings are capable of forming gels in alkane liquids and/or silicone oil. A full colloidal characterization of alkane gels prepared from (R/S)-1-pentafluorophenyl-3-phenylprop-2-yn-1-ol [(R/S)- 1] was conducted, including both structural [optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), powder X-ray diffraction (XRD), attenuated total reflectance infrared spectroscopy (ATR-IR)] and thermal stability [differential scanning calorimetry (DSC)] studies. A model of the organization of gelator molecules within gel fibers has been proposed primarily based on the correlation of diffraction data for the powder XRD pattern of a gel and a simulated powder pattern from a sublimed crystal of the gelator. Furthermore, structural requirements for propargylic alcohol gelators were investigated by subjecting derivatives with modified structures to gelation tests. An enantiomerically enriched sample [(R)- 1, 83% ee] fails to entrap the solvent under conditions where the racemate successfully forms a gel. The remaining racemic derivatives (with p-alkoxy or p-alkyl substituents on the nonfluorinated arene) form gels or partial gels in silicone oil and in some alkane preparations.

Insect circulating hemocytes are primarily responsible for the immune defense against parasites and pathogens. Here, we have analyzed phagocytosis of both biotic (bacteria) and abiotic (latex) particles by circulating hemocytes of 5th-instar nymphs of the triatomine bug Rhodnius prolixus. The following hemocyte types were identified: prohemocytes, plasmatocytes, granulocytes, oenocytoids and adipohemocytes. There was a considerable change in the relative percentage of plasmatocytes and prohemocytes in the hemolymph after challenge with both latex beads and bacteria. Granulocytes and oenocytoids also change their relative percentage in response to latex bead and Staphylococcus aureus, respectively. No significant change was observed in adipohemocytes at any time or treatment. Our data demonstrated that plasmatocytes were the only cell type involved in phagocytosis of foreign particles. As in mammal cells, phagocytosis by both zipper and trigger mechanisms were observed for the uptake of latex beads and bacteria. Neither melanization nor micro-aggregation was observed towards latex particles or Escherichia coli. On the other hand, R. prolixus produced a strong melanization reaction against S. aureus, thus showing that differences exist in the responses to E. coli and to S. aureus. Ultrastructural changes observed in plasmatocytes, adipohemocytes and oenocytoids suggest that these hemocyte types are directly involved in the immune defense of R. prolixus against foreign particles.

This qualitative phenomenological research was carried out in order to understand how women experience living with advance gynecological cancer. We chose to make a qualitative survey in a phenomenological approach, based on the following directive question: "I'd like you to tell me your experience: 'How is it to be a woman with gynecological cancer?" ' Six women were interviewed. The ontological unification which emerged from the speeches were analyzed and interpreted according to Martin Heidegger's philosophical referential. These unifications made possible to see ways to care for these women that go far beyond technical and scientific knowledge. It is necessary to understand what has been lived by the other, thus ensuring a quality of care that contemplates subjectivity and inter-subjectivity.

Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) is the most common form of prostate disease in middle-aged and elderly men, and leads to severe impairment later in life. Despite its significant impact on public health, the underlying cause of BPH is yet to be determined. This hypothesis proposes a new causal factor for BPH. Applying concepts of dynamics of fluids to the process of urination it could be stated that a turbulent urinary flow through the passage of the urethra. The turbulent urinary flow in the urethra applies pressure and stretch forces to the surrounding tissue. This stimulus repeated over time and coupled with age-related changes of the urethral tissue could contribute to the development of BPH. In support of this hypothesis, several mechanotransduction studies have shown that vibration and pressure forces applied to different cell tissues can provoke cellular and molecular changes. Another supportive data is the presence of the hyperplasic reaction surrounding the urethra specifically located in the transition zone, the only zone where BPH develops. It is crucial to identify causal factors to understanding the disease and to determine effective primary prevention strategies. Future studies of the dynamics of fluids in the urethra are warranted. The finding of significant forces transmitted to the periurethral tissue from a turbulent urinary flow could give us the clue to the underlying cause of BPH. If this hypothesis proves to be valid there are several primary prevention measures that could be implemented to impede the development of BPH. Educational intervention measures in younger populations to avoid frequent urinary retention and active urination (process of forcing the urine through the urethra at a high velocity) could be considered. Studies of the impact of turbulence in the standing vs. sitting position during urination in men should also be considered.

Tikhonov regularization has been widely used in electrical tomography to deal with the ill-posedness of the inverse problem. However, due to the fact that discontinuities are strongly penalized, this approach tends to produce blurred images. Recently, a lot of interest has been devoted to methods with edge-preserving properties, such as those related to total variation, wavelets and half-quadratic regularization. In the present work, the performance of an edge-preserving regularization method, called ARTUR, is evaluated in the context of magnetic induction tomography (MIT). ARTUR is a deterministic method based on half-quadratic regularization, where complementary a priori information may be introduced in the reconstruction algorithm by the use of a nonnegativity constraint. The method is first tested using an MIT analytical model that generates projection data given the position, the radius and the magnetic permeability of a single nonconductive cylindrical object. It is shown that even in the presence of strong Gaussian additive noise, it is still able to recover the main features of the object. Secondly, reconstructions based on real data for different configurations of conductive nonmagnetic cylindrical objects are presented and some of their parameters estimated.

The study of chromosomes in insects is a good tool in mitotic process analysis, zoographic localization and evolution investigation. Among them, the Sciaridae offers a karyotype with a small number of chromosomes, where the heterochromatin and nucleolar organizer region, NOR, are easily analyzed in metaphase chromosomes obtained from cerebral ganglia squashes. In this work, the heterochromatic regions on Bradysia hygida mitotic chromosomes, revealed by C-banding, were identified as centromeric blocks on A and C chromosomes and as dark interstitial region in B and X chromosomes. By Ag-DAPI staining, active nucleolus organizer region, NOR, was revealed associated to the constitutive heterochromatin in the end of the C autosome chromosome. The C-band regions and the unusual ribosomal site localization are discussed.

The mitotic chromosomes of Bradysia hygida (Diptera:Sciaridae) neuroblast cells are described together with their morphometric data. Giemsa-stained neuroblast chromosomes from female and male larvae confirm the chromosome number of this species, 2n = 8 (XX) and 2n = 7 (XO), respectively. The karyotype assembly reveals two metacentric autosomic pairs, the A and B chromosomes; a subtelocentric, the C chromosome, the smallest one; and a sexual unequal metacentric pair, X chromosome, in female karyotype and a one sexual metacentric X chromosome in male. The implications of the unequal X chromosome pair are discussed.

Our objectives were to further characterize an artifact related to the localized failure of the frequency-selective (FATSAT) fat suppression magnetic resonance (MR) imaging technique. We constructed two phantoms simulating human orbital anatomy and imaged them on a 1.5-T MR scanner using (FATSAT) and short T1 inversion recovery (STIR) techniques of fat suppression. The first phantom resembled orbit structural configurations; it was imaged in coronal and axial planes and in varying orientations with respect to the main magnetic field (Z axis) to study the features of the artifact and to reproduce the asymmetry seen in clinical cases. We designed the second phantom to enable quantification of the change in artifact size with change in orientation. We imaged the orbits of a normal human volunteer in similar planes and orientations, and compared the results to clinical cases demonstrating the artifact and true orbital disease. The artifact identified with localized failure of FATSAT fat suppression manifested as regions of hyperintensity maximal at fat-air interfaces, with gradual fading of the increased signal with distance from the interfaces. The artifact was most prominent when the interfaces were perpendicular to the axis of the main magnetic field (Z axis). The regions of increased brightness obscured normal orbital structures but were not associated with alterations in the geometry of these structures. Changes in orientation of the interfaces with respect to the Z axis, both in the phantoms and normal volunteer, reproduced the asymmetry of fat suppression failure seen in clinical cases. The relationship of size of the artifact to change in orientation was non-linear. The artifact was not seen on STIR images. We concluded that failure of FATSAT fat suppression may mimic orbital disease, particularly if asymmetric. As predicted by the Maxwell electromagnetism equation, slight variations in orientation of the fat-air interface to the Z axis may produce large asymmetries in fat suppression failure in the orbit. Confirmation may require either comparison with additional pulse sequences [T1-weighted spin echo (T1W SE) or STIR] or repositioning the patient's head to check for persistence of the finding with varying orientations.

The authors analyse the use of topical DNCB in the treatment of warts evaluating the influence of lesions duration and its number on the results which were obtained. They came to the conclusion that in the 29 cases which were studied, the number of lesions had no influence at all. The shorter the duration of a lesion was, the better the results obtained were.